Before In the “before” section of all this, it was probably the period right after finishing university in England, where I had studied architecture and then philosophy, before returning to Greece, where I grew up. That first year back in Greece, my father — who had been struggling with depression for many years — was getting quite old, and dementia was starting to develop. It was just me and him at home, and I was taking care of him. But his health deteriorated quickly that year, and in October 2010, he passed away. After that, there were many phases of grief. At the same time, I was trying to figure out what to do with my life after university. I was also in a relationship with a woman, and I started working as a freelance filmmaker in various roles and productions. But the situation in Greece was difficult — financially, because of the crisis and the economy, and also professionally, because I didn’t really fit in. As the years passed, I became increasingly depressed and lost. Something inside me just wasn’t landing right on a subconscious level, and I knew I had to make a change. Without really knowing what that would be, I took a leap of faith: I ended the relationship I had been in for about seven years, took the 300 euros I had in my hand, and went to the U.S. I’m also half-American, and I had some connections on weed farms in California, so I went there to trim weed and figure out what to do with my life. After that first season was over, I thought about going down to Los Angeles to try to get into the film business there. That was in 2016. Crisis Just before I moved to Los Angeles, I went to Death Valley and ended up spending ten days there by myself in the desert. There was this deep sense of communion with something greater than me — a feeling of freedom, as if my new life was waiting for me. As soon as I got to Los Angeles, I felt that sense of a new beginning. I knew a few people in town, and after a couple of months of networking and trying to find a job, I finally landed my first film gig.